Can We Make a Rule Against This?

A popular Canadian web site (lets call it something like.... I don't know..... The Weather Network) posted this survey question today......

One of the biggest debates in the scientific community over the years has been about whether dinosaurs were cold-blooded, like lizards, or warm-blooded like mammals. What's your guess?  

•  warm-blooded
•  cold-blooded
•  tepid-blooded

What is the point of this question????  

If the people who know more about these things than anyone in the world do not know the answer, what is the point of me guessing?  

Like what shot do I have????

"Well, let's see...... this doughnut that I am eating has a red jam-like substance in it that sort of looks like blood..... and I certainly would not describe it as being warm..... so extrapolating from that....... I am going to say that dinosaurs were cold-blooded!"

What good does that do?????   How is my guess going to advance this discussion??????

It is sort of like the radio call in shows that say things like....... "Experts say that too many Tetrahydrotoxins in the air is bad for you.........  but we want you to have your say.... call us at..........."

Why should I get to have "my say" about about something I know absolutely nothing about?????  What kind of intelligent comment could I add to any conversation about Tetrahydrotoxins ??????  

And - just for fun - lets assume I could come up with something that sounded even half intelligent..... why would anyone listen to me instead of somebody who actually knows what they are talking about????????  

"Well you know, the guy who did the environmental study went to Harvard and he spent 43 years of his life researching the subject........but that Tim guy from Estevan said that he went to school with a guy who looked just like David Suzuki...... so I really want to hear what he has to say!"

Even more to point:  Why would I want to listen to what you have to say about a topic that you know exactly nothing about?????

A pooling of ignorance is not intelligence!

We ought to propose a new law against this sort of stupidity! (Even though all the experts say it would never be passed).   

Just respond to my survey or call in and give me your opinion!  :)

Kinda Famous - sort of - but not really (Blog 30 of 30)

One of the things that I like about living in a small city is the fact that you are always running into people that you know.  Take last Wednesday for example....

I decided to take advantage of the advance pole for the provincial election.  As I was walking to the office door someone yelled "Hey, Tim!!!!"   I turned and looked and there was a guy from the radio station.  His name is Danny and is always fun to visit with, so we chatted about a bunch of different stuff.

As I was about to go, he said,  "Hey, I need to interview someone for my story about the election.  Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions and put you on the news tomorrow?"

"Why not?" I said so I answered the questions, said goodbye to him and went inside.

To my surprise the line was huge!  I thought that I was just going to walk in and walk out and be done in five minutes.  However, there must have been 30 people in line and more coming, so I settled in for the wait.

As I looked around, I kept seeing people I knew.  "Hey.... Hi.... How are ya??.... Etc" was the conversation as more and more people came in and we acknowledged each other's presence.

When I finally got to the place where they check your ID and sign you in,  the guy looked up at me and said, "Oh you are the author".

"Pardon me" I said.

"I recognize your picture from the newspaper.  I read your article every week."

"Oh, that is nice" I said.  "I am glad to hear that someone reads it!"

Then to top it all off, the lady sitting beside him says, "Well, of course you should know him.... that is Tim Pippus".

By now I am starting to think I am kinda somebody..... and then the she added..... "He is Sara Pippus' husband!"  :)

So there you go..... I was a minor celebrity for like 2.3 seconds..... only to find out that I am actually married to a much more well known minor celebrity than me.

Oh well!  There are worse things than being known as Sara Pippus' husband!

(PS.  You will notice that we have reached the end of this stretch of 30 blogs in 30 days, but I am still having fun doing this so I am going to keep going.  I don't think I will number the blogs - unless I start falling behind and need a challenge - so just keep checking in once in a while to see what is going on.  Thanks for reading!)

So this happened to day (Blog 29 of 30)

She does not have to wear them all the time..... just when she wants to be "Nerd cute".  :)

Better Late than Never (Blog 28 of 30)

What you see in this picture is a cheque from General Motors.  A cheque that we almost did not get.

It all started a few summers ago when the transmission cratered on our GMC Acadia while we were on summer vacation.  A bit of a hassle and then a phone call to a buddy from church who has a car trailer got us and the stupid Acadia back home.  A trip to the transmission shop got us back on the road.

Fast forward to this past February.  GM sent a recall notice for something that is wrong with the lift gate at the back.  As I am visiting with the service manager - a lady I know from the speedway - I find out that there has been a special service bulletin put out regarding the transmissions in this year of Acadia.

Oddly - no one let us know about it (though we got the lift gate recall letter).  Fortunately - we were able to get in under the wire.  The program was set to end in two weeks.

Anyway - Sara had kept our receipts and everything, so I took them in and made a claim.  Then we waited.... and waited..... and waited...... and (well you get the idea).

Yesterday we finally got a cheque that covered about half the cost of the new transmission (GM paid out what they would have paid to fix our old one.  We chose to go with a rebuilt one).  So I was happy with that.  The money was spent and gone, so this was just bonus anyway.

So there you go!  It only took 3 years and having some connections to get it - but GM at least admitted that they built a faulty part and backed it up (sort of).

It is almost enough to make me love GM again and never tell this story to anyone else ever again.

Almost..... but not quite!  :)

Women of Today article (Blog 27 of 30)

Click on the picture to read the Estevan Mercury story re. the "Women of Today" awards.

An Iphone Flap (Blog 26 of 30)

People are upset that the FBI was able to hack an Iphone that belonged to one of the San Bernardino shooters.

I say "Good!"

I doubt that there will be anything on the phone that will have any real significance to the case, but I hope they find something that will help them prevent something similar in the future.

"But now the US government can access the information in your phone!!!!!"

And??????

The only thing strange thing they would find on my phone is a Johnny Reid album (HE ISN'T JUST FOR OLD PEOPLE!!!  HE IS REALLY GOOD!!!!)


I just don't get the paranoia around the government accessing your private information.  Call me and I will sing my Social Insurance Number to you over the phone for all I care.

The only thing someone would get from my history is "bored".

The Drive-thru Diatribe (Blog 25 of 30)

I HATE THE DRIVE THRU!!!!

There.... I said it!!!!

I think that the drive thru is one of the worst inventions of modern culture.  Why do I say that???  Well.......

1.  Have you noticed that it is spelled "drive thru"?  What is that???

2.  It is inequitable.
The drive thru window always looks as if it is staffed by the entire grade 12 class from the local high school while the inside counter looks more like nap time at the old folks home and someone forgot to set the alarm!  IF I TAKE THE TIME TO ACTUALLY COME INTO YOUR STORE I OUGHT TO GET BETTER SERVICE THAN THE GUY WHO SPENDS 3.74 SECONDS DRIVING BY THE WINDOW!!!!

3.  The conversations.  
"Brrrmmmmppppp..... Welcome to ___________ may I take your order?"

"Ya I will have a medium black coffee."

"Bbbbrrrrpppp.... did you say a medium chai latte?"

"No! I am a grown man!!!   Why would I drink that slop???   I said I wanted a medium black coffee!"

"FFffrrrrrrrgggghhhhttt....... Ok..... what size would you like?"

"I am sorry! Maybe I wasn't clear. Lean in and listen closely.... AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" (Fill in the loudest, more shrill, girly "I just found a spider in my hair" scream right there)

Eighty-seven minutes later I finally drive away with a steaming cup of chai latte.


4.  The lack of conversation
In Europe, going out for food or drink is a social occasion.  You do not go out to eat.... you go out to be with people.  The food is secondary.  It is part of being part of a community.  In a drive thru, the only thing you are part of is global warming (if you believe in that) by having you and 27 of your community members idling in a line for 6 hours while you wait!  If I am paying for a cup of coffee that I could make for free at my office, I going to force a real person to make awkward small talk with me - just like my Grand-pappy did in his day.  It is part of the exchange!

5.  Did I mention it is spelled "Drive thru"??????

6.  The drive thru makes me clean up my own slop because it is now in my truck instead of on the table in the restaurant where it ought to be!

In all seriousness, don't fall for the drive thru!!!  It is simply the company's way of saying "Give us your money and get off our property as fast as you can!"  

It was built for their convenience... not yours!

Which is why - even if there is a drive thru - I never, ever use it!  

Instead, I make Sari go in and get our stuff.

If I don't take a stand, who will?  :)

Some Well Deserved Recognition (Blog 24 of 30)

Sara has been nominated for a "Women of Today" award for "Outstanding Contribution to the Community".  She was invited to a luncheon today to announce the nominees and then the awards will be handed out in April.

We have a plaque on our wall that says, "Work hard.  Be kind.  And amazing things will happen!"  I think that sums up how Sara goes about things and the effect that she has..... obviously others think so too!  :)

Maybe we aren't so different after all (Blog 23 of 30)

Cool video.... watch to the end and think about what he says!  :)

A Tree Tale (Blog 22 of 30)

I just found the best way to make the people of  Estevan, Saskatchewan mad........

Take a chain saw and start butchering trees around town!

I am serious!  

The city hired some company to come in and take care of the trees that were overhanging the sidewalks and roadways and those guys are getting more dirty looks than Donald Trump at a Hilary Clinton rally!

In fact, I think you could kick puppies down main street and people would not be as mad as they are at these tree dudes!

Now, maybe this has to do with the fact that - as I noted previously - they are butchering these things. They are cutting branches off left and right with seemingly no regard for aesthetics or form.  We now have trees all over town that look like they were in one of those old time Ginsu knife commercials.... "Watch!  This knife can even cut an entire tree in half length-wise in one motion!!"

The other issue is that - shocking as it may seem - the prairies are not known for having an abundance of trees, so the idea of chopping up anything that is still alive is appalling to most.

I think they ought to make a reality show out of it...... "In the southeastern corner of Saskatchewan, a group of men put their bravery to the test as they hack their way through the urban forest of a small prairie town and try to deal with the angry old ladies that yell at them from their front porches..... THIS.... IS..... BRANCH BUTCHERS!!!"

I'd watch that!  

In fact, I did watch that from my front window after work today!  

If I was a betting man, my money would not be on the tree dudes!  

Three Minutes of Learning (Blog 21 of 30)

You may have seen this floating around the internet lately, but I found it interesting.  There is a vault in Norway that holds seeds from all over the world.  A short video and then you can go do more research about it if you like....

It is Happening Again!!! (Blog 20 of 30)

Why does this keep happening to me????

I said that I was not going to get involved!!!!

I promised myself that last year was the last time!!!

I tried my best and it did not work out, so why keep banging your head against the wall, right?

Sometimes the best thing you can do is just cut your losses, throw in the towel and walk away.

And then..........  LIKE AN IDIOT!!!!!!!...... I said "Yes" to THIS again!!!!!!!

Now, for those who do not live around here you need to know that the Co-op's "Fuel up to Win" contest is grossly mis-named!

It should be called, "Here is your chance to collect 7638946904386904869438 little stickers and waste 3846978 hours of your life sticking them in this card thing for the chance to win some really cool prizes none of which you will ever win because the game is totally rigged against you and not to mention that the little stickers don't actually stick and will fall out of the card every time you pick it up!" (But maybe they could not use that name because it was already taken!!???????  I am not sure.)

Last year I spent half my winter sticking things in the card and entering pin numbers and keeping track of these stupid little bits of paper...... and for what.......  NOTHING THAT IS WHAT!!!!! (Well, I did get that funny taste in my mouth from licking the glue.... that was one good thing!).

Here is what always happens:  You quickly get every sticker you need to complete each row..... except one!  Then you wait..... and you keep going back..... then you try to trade with your buddies but they are all waiting for the same silly sticker too!!

Everyone is just HOPING to get a Pincher Creek, Alberta sticker!!!!

Never in the history of the world has Pincher Creek been so popular!!!!

So why did I say "yes" when they asked me if I wanted to play again?

Well, they are giving away a Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner, ya know???

See anyone you recognize? (19 of 30)

It looks like someone is off campus without permission!  Click on the picture below and pay attention around the 1:30 mark of the video.

Shocking News...... Some Bikers are unfriendly!!! Or "How not to fit in at the Swap meet" (Blog 18 of 30)

Since I am repairing a couple of old bikes, I was really excited to go to the "Biker Swap Meet" in Moose Jaw this past weekend.  It was even more fun that Sari decided to go with me.

As we pulled up to the building, it became clear that this was not our normal Sunday morning crowd.

The first tip off...... the multiple police cruisers parked outside.

The second...... the fact that everyone was dressed in black leather.  I mean everyone!  From top to bottom..... leather hats, leather coats or vests.... leather pants.... leather boots.  Everyone!

Well - everyone except for Sari who was dressed in a shirt that looked like an Easter Egg!

A cute Easter Egg mind you..... but an Easter Egg none the less.

At least it was no hard to find her in the crowd.
________________
At the same meet, I kept seeing guys who had a patch on their back that said, "Christian".  On the front, they had other patches that said stuff like "God is good!" or "Disciple".

I had heard of various Christian biker groups, but I had never seen these guys before, so I decided to ask one of them about the group.  Generally speaking, bikers are a friendly lot especially once they know that you have a bike too, so I picked out this one dude and approached him.

"Hey, can I ask you a question" I said.

"Why?" was his surly response.

"I just wanted to ask about your colours.  I have heard of a lot of Christian bikers but I don't know about yours.  What can you tell me about it?"

"We are bikers.... who are Christians!" he snorted.

At this point I was starting to really believe the first part of his statement, though I was starting to doubt the second part a bit.  

I decided to try a different approach..... "Well I work with a church in Estevan and I ride too so I just kinda wondered who you guys are since I have never seen your patch before".

"Estevan", he said sounding even less impressed.  "Do you know pastor Jeff?"  I said that I did and he said, "Well, that is him right over there!"

I took this as my cue to shut up and leave him alone..... which I did!

So I went and talked to Jeff who was dressed in the same apparel as the other dudes, but he did not seem to know much more about the group either...... or he was sworn to secrecy so something.

It was a weird experience though.

When the guys wearing "Christian" are way less friendly than the guys wearing the "Hell's Angels" stuff, something is wrong.

(PS.  Oddly, that last line is true.  The dudes at the HA table were very talkative.... till the cops walked by anyway)

Where have I been????

If you are still faithfully checking this block once in a while, thank you!  I have not given up on it, but life sort of got in the way recently.

I left home about 10 days ago to go to a conference.  I knew that I would not be blogging for that weekend, but figured that was not a big deal.  However, on the Sunday I was away, I found out that my Dad died.  I may write more about that later, but that event dramatically changed how the rest of the week played out.

Instead of coming home on Sunday I ended up spending the next week or so in Moose Jaw making funeral plans, going to banks, meeting people I had not seen since I was a kid and generally sorting things out.  The good news is that I had lots of family help.... in particular my brother and sister.  One of the cool things about the week is that the three of us spent almost every waking minute together dealing with a lot of sort of stressful things, but we got along really well.  Those two (and several other family members) made the week a whole lot easier and much nicer.

So now that I am home for a while, I plan to get back to the blog (maybe it will not be "30 blogs in 40ish days" but that will have to do).   

Again, thanks for reading this and thanks too for commenting and interacting. I do this because it is fun (it is easy for the other stuff I do in a day to take on a very serious tone so it is enjoyable to come here and be stupid.... something that some of you have said I do very well.... which I am not sure is a compliment or an insult).

See you tomorrow!

Yee Haw!!! (Blog 17 of 30)

When Katie graduated a couple of years ago, I volunteered to work security at the Chem-free party. In fact, I was in charge of it.

It was fun!  Good kids.... good music.... nice people to work with... tons of food.... I really enjoyed it!

So with Megan graduating this year...... I volunteered for security again.... and I am in charge again......BUT this time I am going to do it right.

Instead of being "Good cop" and going to be "Bad cop!"

You know.... quarantine Megan and her friends for talking during the dance.... or force them to bring me food all night..... maybe I will confiscate some of their grad prizes...... or make them play only music that I like (All Taylor Swift all night).

What is the point of having power if you can't be corrupted by it?????

Just in case (Blog 16 of 30)

Generally I try to be a nice guy.  I try to give people the benefit of the doubt.  I try to see things from their point of view.

But sometimes that is REALLY hard!!!

And sometimes I REALLY want to tell people that they are being stupid!

Like when people start griping about politics.  Here is the thing:  I am interested in politics.  In fact, I even follow it and keep up with what is going on.  However, I have ABSOLUTELY NO HOPE that politicians will ever make a real difference for us.  No matter who is in there or who is leading, their hands are basically tied.

SO STOP WHINING, PAY YOUR TAXES AND SHUT UP!!!! YOUR LIFE IS NOT THAT BAD!!!!

Now..... that is what I want to yell at people..... but I can't!  And (as I said in the first line of this blog) I try to be nicer than that.

So what do you do if you want to call someone an idiot, but do not feel like you can or should?  Well, one alternative is to insult them in a nicer way.  We all know phrases that accomplish this... like instead of saying someone is a "moron" you say, "He is a few bricks short of a load" or "Not the sharpest knife in the drawer".

Someone sent me a list of creative insults today and I am sharing my favourites with you so you have something to say when you are really frustrated!!!

That guy.......

~ Doesn't have all his cornflakes in one box.
~ Gates are down, the lights are flashing, but the train isn't coming.
~ The wheel's spinning, but the hamster's dead.
~ The cheese slid off his cracker.
~ An intellect rivaled only by garden tools.
~ His sewing machine's out of thread.
~ If she had another brain, it would be lonely.
~ Slinky's kinked.
~ Too much yardage between the goal posts.
~ Big like ox; smart like tractor.
~ Butter slipped off the noodles.

And my personal favourite....... Back in the 1950s the church here was getting too large for its small building so they decided to add on to it.  One day, one of the church members was framing up part of the new wall and he could not seem to get things right.  He measured wrong.  He cut the board too short.  Dropped his hammer.  Bent the nails.  Nothing went as it should.  As this was going on the preacher that they had at the time leaned over to one of the other church members and said in his Texas drawl.....

"I think old Archie may have picked his melon a little too ripe!"  :)

Now, to be clear, I am not encouraging such behaviour and because you are so much nicer and better than me you will likely never need these phrases.... but if and when you do at least now you have something in your arsenal.  :)

A Leap Year Fact and a "Friends" Picture (blog 15 of 30)

Yesterday I promised that if you came back here you would not have to think (See yesterday's post re. "Why does a funny joke not live anywhere near as long as a good song?"   By the way, I am still waiting for some good - or even not so good theories on that so get with it!).

However, I did not promise that you would not learn something.

So here we go....... Leap years happen once every four years, right?

BBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRAAAAAANNNNNTTTTT!!!!   WRONG!

Just so you know (according to CTV News).......

An Earth year is said to be 365 days long, but in fact, the planet actually takes 365.24 days to make a complete cycle around the sun. Without a leap year day every four years, we would soon be a full day out of sync with the calendar. Eventually, the start of the seasons would not match up with our calendar.

But..........

Leap years don’t always occur every four years. They only happen on years that are divisible by four -- except for years that are both divisible by 100 and not divisible by 400. So, the year 2000 was a leap year, while the year 1900 was not. 

There you go!  I did not know that and I am betting that none of you did either. (If you did, comment below and prove me wrong)
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In the mid-90s. NBC called their Thursday night line up, "Must see TV".  For a long time, this evening was anchored by "Seinfeld" (Easily my all-time favourite) and "Friends".

I was never a huge "Friends" fan, but I watched it when nothing else was on.

Today I came across this picture........

I don't know how well you can see it, but it is the set for the Friends coffee shop, "Central Perk".

What I like about the picture is just how minimal and cold the set looks.  Like, it is actually very small and there really is not much to it.  However, when you watch the show, the coffee shop looks real, full and cozy.

I have seen similar pictures of the Seinfeld set and I am always amazed at how TV can create a world that looks and feels real out of something that is nothing more than a suggestion or an illusion.

There is a sermon illustration in there somewhere

You are gonna have to think... like it or not! (Blog #14)

Ok - admittedly there has been a lot of drivel on this blog.  Not much to challenge your intelligence.... but that changes today!

No seriously.... it does!

Something has been bothering me and you guys are going to figure out the answer for me.  Why???? Well, I think y'all are capable of coming up with some interesting - if not intelligent - answers.

A while ago, I watched an interview with Jeff Foxworthy and he said......

"I wish I had got into music instead of comedy.  A musician writes one good song and that is it.  He can play that one song for the next 50 years and people keep paying to hear it.  Not me!  I write one joke.... people hear it.... and it is over!   Could be the best joke in the world - but as soon as it is out it is done and I have to come up with something new!"

Ok amateur philosophers (and people who have nothing better to do but read whatever is on here)...... What is going on here?   Is it that.......

A.  Comedy depends on comments that are surprising (something you did not see coming) whereas music plays to what is already known (love, fun, heartache, etc).  Therefore, music will always be longer lasting because it is based on something that is common and known whereas it is impossible to recreate the surprise ending of a joke after it has been heard (even "funny songs" are not funny after you have heard them once or twice).

B.  Laughter is a less deeply felt emotion than, say, sadness.  Music therefore affects us on a much deeper level than jokes and therefore it stands the test of time better.

C.  People are stupid!!!   It is super hard to be funny!!  Any jerk can write a song!  I sing songs about myself all the time (though none have become popular yet and I have not been asked to repeat them).

D.  Some other fourth answer.......

Ok - there you go.  Give me you best theory or vote for one of mine.

I especially want to hear from the funny guys who read this thing (Matt.... Trevor..... I am expecting something from you).

Tune in tomorrow when - I promise - there will be something so stupid on here that it will require no thought that all.

Man Weekend (Blog 13)

So, if you are me, how do you spend your weekend if the girls are away?

Well, you start by going to a hockey game (the Bruins beat Kindersley).

Then on Saturday, you do oil changes on your truck and Megan's with the door open - at the end of February!!!

Then you take the oil in for recycling.... make lunch..... and watch some NASCAR racing.

After that, you go back out to the garage and start working on the 1979 Suzuki 425 that you bought for next to nothing but got running last week.  Sorted out a few electrical issues today and made a parts list.  I think this one will be going down the road this summer!

The to top it all off you go and watch the Leaf/Canadiens game that you PVRed.

That is what a weekend by myself looks like.  I would not want to do it all the time, but it was fun for two days.

A Reminder (#12)

I just walked in the door after going to a funeral for a 25 year old kid  (I did not really know him, but I know his dad and a bunch of cousins from the speedway).

Here is some of what I heard.....

- Rylan was courageous and did not allow his fear of failure to hold him back from new experiences

- He loved to laugh

- When you talked, he listened in such a way that you felt like you were the only person in the world

- (One of his family members said) We are doing this tribute to Rylan on this day because we always do things as a family.

- He loved his brother and knew that they were always better together

- His easy-going nature allowed people to feel comfortable around him.

- He was always looking for the good side of things

Funerals have a way of boiling off all the useless things that we seem to think are really important.... leaving behind the things that are truly important.

What are you leaving behind?

Or Can You? (Random thought #11)

"You can't judge a book by its cover" someone said to me today.

Of course you can!

In fact, isn't that what the cover is for?  (Well, that and keeping the booky bits inside)

If you can't judge a book by its cover then.....

1.  A lot of people are going to be really surprised when they get home from Chapters with that book that says "The History of the Airplane" on the cover only to find out that it is actually "A Pictorial Directory of Perogies that look like People".

2.  If there is so much trouble matching the cover to the contents of the book, I am going to push my girls down that career path.  As long as they can put the word "Math" on the cover of a book that has math in it, then they will in line for a promotion on day one right?  

English is a topic that makes me very excitement!

A Phrase to Remember (Blog 10 of 30)

Many years ago, our Bible college honoured a couple who had been good givers to the school.

To look at them, you would not know that they were "good givers".  They did not drive new cars.  They did not own a big house.  They certainly never talked about how much money they gave away or how many people they had helped.

Apparently, though, they were super generous.

Anyway, as part of the ceremony, someone said of these people that they "Gave without remembering".

I have never forgotten that phrase because it struck me as being such a rare thing.

I know some generous people..... but I know it because they told me that they were generous.

I some people who have helped me..... but they like to remind me about it once in while.

I can give things away...... but it is easier to do if I do not have to help the same person over and over again.  It would be easier if I didn't remember.

The Bible says, "Love keeps no records of wrongs" (I Corinthians 13:5).  Maybe it is true too that "Love keeps no records at all".

No record of what I have done for you.  No record of how much I have given away.  No record of what I think someone owes me.  No record of whose turn it is now.

Think what would happen if it could be said of all of us that we without remembering.

That would be something to remember!

Well.... this should be interesting (Blog 9 of 30)

I had to buy food for Murphy tonight, but they were out of the kind that we normally get him.

So I had to buy him "High Performance" food.

The problem is..... Murphy is "Low performance".

Or - more accurately - "No performance"!

I am curious to see what is going to happen now.  Will he suddenly be able to run 100 mph???  Will laser beams shoot out of his eyes????   (That would be cool!)

Don't get me wrong.... I tried to find something more suited to his needs, but apparently they don't make a special blend for "The mature, portly dog that does nothing but sit around and breathe heavily all day".

I can't wait to feed him tomorrow!!!  :)

Something to think about (Blog 8 of 30)

At a preacher's meeting several months ago we were all asked to submit one question to ask the group.

Most of the questions were things like, "What are you reading lately?" or "What are you preaching about?" or "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" (You know, the typical sorts of questions that you get at these things).

When it was my turn, I asked, "What are you doing just for the fun of it?"

Only one guy in the entire room had an answer.  ONE GUY!!!  The rest had nothing to say.

That got me thinking. Maybe it was just that group.  Maybe preachers tend to take themselves too seriously.

So I started asking random people (at church, at hockey games, at coffee) the same question.  Now, I made sure that people knew that I was being serious.  I wasn't just using it as a flippant conversation starter.  I really wanted to know one or two things that they did just because they enjoyed it.  And guess what????  Most of those people could not give me a good answer either.

Now, by a "good answer" I mean an answer that was something other than "watching TV".  I wanted to hear about a hobby or a volunteer thing or something that they really enjoyed.... but I got virtually nothing.

Then I came across this quote by Jerry Seinfeld.  He said, "Having fun is a very particular skill. And not everyone has that skill".

I think he is right!

When I think about it, I don't know a lot of "Fun" people.  I know some hard working people.  I know some dedicated people.  I know lots of people who are doing good things and contributing to the community.....but I do not know a lot of people who seem to be having much fun.

(As a side note:  I also know several 34 year olds who act like they are 14.  I am not advocating for that nor am I honouring "Delayed adulthood" - that is another subject entirely).

What I am saying is that life needs some balance.

So - what do you do just for fun?  What would you do even if no one else ever knew about it or if you never ever took a picture of it and spread it around the internet?  What is valuable to you even if it cannot be measured in dollars and cents?

Maybe it is time to rediscover the skill of having fun!

My One and Only Movie Review (7 of 30)

Those who know me well know that movies are not my thing!

Part of this may have to do with the fact that when Sari and I were first married we spent hours standing around at the video store trying to pick something that we both would watch (Yes - kids - you used to have to go to a store to rent movies and yes I am old enough to remember it).  It was excruciating!!!

As a result, at the most, I watch three to four movies per year (and that includes the black and white version of Charles Dickens' "The Christmas Carol" that I have watched every Christmas eve for the since I was 10 years old...... seriously!  I think we have like 4 copies of this movie - just in case).

So when the girls forced me into watching a movie over the Christmas break, I did so with great complaining, pouting and protesting!

They made me watch "Home"........And it was super funny!  If you have not seen it yet, you ought to put it on your list.  Just watch the first 3/4 of it if you want (it gets serious and less funny toward the end).  Watch it just for the quotes and the funny lines.  The girls and I now have entire conversations just using lines from the movie. They call me "Boov" now!  (That will make more sense if you watch it).

If you asked some of my preaching buddies to recommend a movie they would probably come up with something that was insightful, deep and intelligent (possibly written in a foreign language and having sub-titles), but I will go with this for now.

Jerry Seinfeld once said, "It takes a special kind of talent to have fun - and not everyone has that talent".

I think he is right!  Our default is to be super serious and overly focused on negative things.  We are a society that broadcasts the bad news 24 hours a day,

Therefore, we need to develop the ability to have fun and to laugh.... we need to work on that..... and "Home" will help you do that.

Go watch it and then write to me and we can exchange our favourite lines ("Number 3").  :)

I think you will be very excitement!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner (Blog 6 of 30)

I went to the Estevan Bruins game tonight and one of the guys from the radio station comes along at the end of the first period and says, "Tim, come here.  I want to talk to you".

Turns out he was hosting an intermission Bruins trivia contest and thought that since I was at a lot of games I may know the answers.  So they put me and him on the scoreboard screen and asked me three questions.

First question had to do with how many wins the Bruins has the last time the won the league (or something like that).  I just guessed and got it right.

Second question was about who was the leading scorer on the team since the team last won the league.  They gave me four names and I was pretty sure that I knew the answer and did - so I was 2 for 3.

Then the last one they gave me four cities and asked which one had not hosted the "Western Canada Cup".  I knew for sure two had (Dauphin and Fort Mc) so I guessed between the other two and got that one wrong.

But they gave me the prize anyway.... which turned out to be a portable charge pack that you can use to charge phones etc, a $25 Jump.ca gift card and an Estevan Bruins loyalty card that gives you discounts around town.

It is good to know and be nice to people who have the power to arrange these things. :)

Sari and I had words (Blog 5 of 30)

I try to make some of these blogs funny, but there is nothing funny about this.......

Sari cleaned my clock at this tonight.

The title of this post reminded me of a joke that my buddy Bill use to tell.  He would say, "Mary and I had words last night..... but I did not get to use mine"  :)

I have a Dream! (Blog 4 of 30)

I am not normally the dreamer in our family.  That is Sari's job.

But- today - I have a dream!

I want to preach here...........

It is called (surprisingly enough) the "Chicken Church".   It was built by some guy in Indonesia who claims that he had a vision from God that told him to do it.

Here is what it looks like up close.....

 And inside......

We ought to do this to the church building in Estevan.  Think of the advantages.....

1.  Directions would no longer be a problem.  As it is now, I am always saying, "We are the group by the tracks" or "by the Dairy Queen".   If I said, "I am from the Chicken church" everyone within 648783469 miles would know where to find me immediately.

2.  Slogans would easy.  "Don't be a chicken.... come to church!"  would look great on a T-shirt.

3.  More visitors on Sunday.  You know that someone is going to mistake that thing for a KFC or a Chick-fil-A.  Someone is gonna wander in to get a "snack pack" and then - once they realize their mistake - they will be too embarrassed to leave so they will stay for worship.

4.  Speaking of KFC...... Sponsored Potlucks!

As a bonus, the "Chicken head" is my favorite emoji on the Iphone.  I send it all the time.  It is a match made in heaven (so to speak).

I simply do not see a downside.  We have a huge building right on one of the main drags in town.... it is ready made to be turned into a chicken!

Does anyone from my congregation read this thing?  Who should we talk to first????

Click here to read more about the Chicken church.

Click here to see older blog posts.

Guest Blogger (3 of 30)

I think W. Bruce Cameron is funny! Someone sent this to me today and I thought it was good - especially the first part - so I am sharing it with you (Which he allows people to do as long as they give him credit)"
___________
DOG AND CAT TRICKS
Copyright 2005 W. Bruce Cameron www.wbrucecameron.com

I own two cats and a dog, which I calculate gives me about two and a half pet brains to deal with.

In point of fact, I don't "own" these animals at all. I pay for their food and their vet bills, I clean out litter boxes and feed them and bathe the dog when she has rolled in road kill, but the pets actually belong to my children.

The cats are complex animals who have worked out sophisticated social rules between them, and who pad silently through the house in a never-ending game of Stalk-and-Pounce. The dog knocks over lamps and barks for hours at the ceiling fan. The cats are usually disappointed to see me, feeling their existence would be vastly improved if some fatal mishap would befall me so they could cash in on my life insurance. The dog loves me so heartily that she bounds over to lick my face in wet greeting even when she's only been out of sight for the few moments it took her to drink out of the toilet.

The cats disdainfully inspect the food we put out for them and seem disgusted when it isn't tuna or caviar. The dog eats my shoes.

I have been unable to train the cats to do anything, unless "ignore on command" could be considered a good trick. All I ever wanted them to learn was to stop streaking out the door when it opens, or, once outside, to come when called instead of fleeing out into the neighborhood and forcing the entire family to embark on a cat hunt. When it comes to the dog, I've tried to train it to do all the standard things, like "Sit," "Stay," "Speak," and "Go Outside and Retrieve the Cat." Of these, only "Speak" seems to have taken hold in its puny brain. Now I am trying to teach it "Shut Up." Whenever I try to command it to sit, holding out a morsel of food as bribe, the dog's rear is on the carpet for less than a second before it is barking, leaping to sniff my hands, turning excited circles, and drooling.

So it is with a certain amount of amazement that I've recently observed that the cats have decided, on their own, to take on the task of training the dog.

After my children have fled the dinner table (I am working on training them in the "Clear the Dishes" trick, but they prefer the "It's Not My Job It Is Someone Else's Turn" trick) the cats will leap up and sniff at the remains of the meal, disgusted that human beings can possibly eat anything less expensive than cat food. Then they stare over at the dog, who walks up to the table and sits down like a military K-9--back rigid, head alert, and SILENT. The cats inspect this performance, and, if they deem it worthy, bat down something from one of the plates, a crumb which my dog snatches out of the air like a short stop snagging a line drive. The canine instantly returns to parade rest, and the trick is repeated a few times.

Then the cats glance at each other, a certain smugness in their expression, like skating coaches who have seen their protege finally execute that triple axel. The dog watches, sensing what is coming. The cats nod and the canine rises in a motion I have never even attempted to teach her, a perfect "Sit Up," with paws held motionless in the air in front of her face.

The cats have taught the dog to pray to them.

With feline patience, they make the dog remain frozen in position for at least ten seconds before snaking a paw out and pitching another morsel into the canine's mouth.

That's the end of the dog show, for now. The cats jump down and the dog returns to normal, literally shaking herself out of the spell and coming over to see whether slobbering on me will entice me to feed her.

Next time the dog chews up one of my shoes, I'm not going bother to punish her. I'm just going to tell the cats about it.

Copyright 2005 W. Bruce Cameron. Permission is granted to send this to others, with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.

Things Canadians Say (Blog 2 of 30)

Last week I had to call a government office to ask about some paper work.  The lady I needed to speak with was away, so I left her a voice message.

She returned my call today and explained, "I am really sorry that I did not get back to you sooner.  I was hospitalized for 4 days and I just got back to work this morning",

I told her that it was ok because I got in touch with someone else and they gave me the information that I needed.

She said, "Well, that is great, Tim!  I will let you go then.  Take care!"

That last bit struck me as being sort of funny:  Take care!  

Take care?

What was she concerned about?  

What could happen to me that I had to take care?  

I work in an office by myself!   The most dangerous thing that could happen is that I could fall asleep at my desk and miss lunch!

What did she know that I didn't?????   

Was she doing the spy movie thing where they say "Take care!" and then wink so that you know you are about to jacked in the back of the head by some dude with a two by four?  

Was there a gang of Ninjas outside my door waiting to attack me?

[By the way: What do you call a bunch of Ninjas?  Or are they "Ninji"?  Is it a gang... a gaggle.... a herd.... I am not certain.  If you are a Ninja, please leave a comment below]

If anyone was going to end our conversation by saying "Take care" it should have been me saying it to her!!  After all, she just got out of the hospital!!  Maybe she is super clumsy and fell down the stairs right after I talked to her. If only I had told her to "take care", I could have prevented a tragedy!

It just seemed like a strange way to end a conversation with a perfect stranger.

But then I started to listen for it and THREE MORE PEOPLE told me to "Take care" today!!!!

I am telling you, something is going down..... I just don't know what it is yet!  

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this.  Take care!  :)

Valentine's Day and Family Day (Blog 1 of 30)

Sari and I have been together for 22 Valentine's Days and, generally speaking, we don't do much on that day. A card... maybe some candy... possibly go out for supper... but last night was different.

Last night we went to a concert.

 Johnny Reid was in town (look him up if you like) and so we bought tickets.

Now, there is a long story here, but the short version is that we were not going to go (neither of us really cared to see Johnny), but then the posters came out and they said that Natalie MacMaster was coming with him.  We love her (look her up if you need to) so that is why we decided to go.

Thirty seconds (literally) after the "non-refundable" tickets were printed, I was told "Natalie is not coming to Estevan".

This set me off on a Twitter campaign against anyone associated with this concert.  I was mad!  You can't advertise something you know that you are not going to deliver!!  Anyway, no one really seemed to care that I was mad (other than Sari because she thought that our tickets were going to get flagged for a "random search" - if you know what I mean).

In the end, I went to the concert with very low expectations.... but it turned out to be a great night!

First, of course, it was great just because Sari and I were doing something together, but also Johnny puts on a tremendous show.  If you get the chance to see him, go!  You will enjoy it even if you do not know any of his songs (which - virtually - I didn't).

It was also fun because half the town was there so we ended up standing around and visiting for more than an hour afterwards.

If you are on Facebook, you have seen these two pictures, but for those who aren't......

Us before heading out.....

And a shot of the stage mid-show.  Notice the fact that he brought 8 musicians and 2 back-up singers.  It was fun! (Even without Natalie)

Then today, Sari and Megan took off to Dauphin to see Sara's mom.  Katie is in Ontario visiting her boyfriend and so that left me wondering what to do on "Family Day"  by myself.  Here is what I came up with.......

First, Murphy and I went for an hour long walk down at Woodlawn (it was beautiful out today).....

And then I turned on the heat in my garage and worked on a couple of bikes.  The one in the back is a 1979 Suzuki 425E that I bought for $150 last year.

After goofing around with it for a couple of hours, I hit the starter and "Vrooooommmmmm!!!"

It still has a lot of issues and I am looking at hours and hours of work to get it back on the road, but it is always more fun to put the time in when you know that the thing runs.

So, all in all, it has been a nice couple of days.

As for the "30 blogs in 30 days"...... as before, I won't guarantee something new every single day, but I will try.  Please check back and comment too (it is more fun for me when you do).

Ba ha ha!

If you need a laugh...... cutest ever, no?

How did that Happen?????

So this came in the mail today.........

How is it possible that Sari and I (two young pups right out of University ourselves) will have two kids in University next year????

Something is definitely wrong here!  :)

It is probably ok - right?

So I was at noon hockey today and, as I talking to someone on the bench, I dropped my mouth guard on the floor.

Just then, one of our guys came over for a line change..... so I picked up the mouth piece and (without really thinking or washing it off) popped it into my mouth and went back on the ice.

So the question is:  What is the over/under on my surviving more than 3 days now?

My buddies at the hockey game tonight did not think that things were in my favour.

Opinions?????

That is about right

The Family that Scrabbles together..... probably had nothing else to do????

Over the years, Sari and I have had an on-going winter Scrabble tournament.  Now, it has morphed into a family thing.

I will not say who won (it was not me!).

This is why I like the internet

Sari is much more musical than I am..... like MUCH.... so when we are listening to songs on the radio I am always asking her things like, "What line is that guy singing?  What is the harmony there?  What is he doing???"

She hates these questions because she does not want to (nor does she need to) think about the mechanics of harmony.  She does hears it.  I don't!!!   I need to know what I am supposed to be doing and if I cannot hear a certain part, then I am lost.

Then today, I stumbled across this guy.... and it made my day!  I really think hearing the individual parts is interesting and cool (and dude has an accent too!)  

I chose a Beatles song as the example just because my mom will probably read this post.  Pay attention to George's part.  It is super cool!   Enjoy!  :) 

Sari's New Friend

Sari saw this guy in a tree across from our house, so she ran into the house, grabbed her camera and got this really cool picture.

Should I be Happy or Sad?

Last night, we did not have hot water.

Pilot light out.  No flame.

I tried to re-light it.  Nothing!   Tried again - nothing!   Again - nothing (repeat this step 20 times).

Went to a meeting.  Talked to a former plumber buddy of mine.  Got some tips about what may be wrong.  Come back home.  Check those things.  Try to re-light it.  Nothing (20 more times!)

Got up this morning.  Tried to re-light it.  20 times - nothing!

Call plumber.  He shows up.  I tell him that I think the gas valve is gone because I cannot even get the pilot to light.  He goes downstairs and looks at it.

Hits the "igniter"...... WHOOSH!!!!!...... It lights immediately!!!!!!!!

He did EXACTLY what I had done 40 + (give or take) times before.  Nothing different!!!

Now he is likely going to charge me at least a 1/2 hour ($70) or an hour ($125) for something that took him 10 seconds and was what I was doing previously.

Question:  Should I be happy that I did not have to replace the water heater for $1200..... or should I be mad that I am being charged $125 for (essentially) nothing?

Please vote in the comment section below.

I am waiting to know how to feel about it.  :)

Maybe we can make it a supper meeting next time

A few months ago, a guy called and asked if I would speak at a men's breakfast meeting at their church.  I thought that sounded like it could be fun, so I said "sure".

Then, two days ago, I realized what that meant.

Being a breakfast meeting - oddly - they wanted it to start at breakfast time (8 am)... which would be fine.... except for the fact that meeting was at Kenosee Lake which is an hour and a half from Estevan.  On top of that I had to set up my PowerPoint presentation when I got there, so that all meant that I had to be up at 5:30 this morning to be picked up at 6 and on the road (after we picked up a couple of other guys) by 6:15.

Fortunately, the morning turned out to be a lot of fun.  About 40 guys showed up.  I had tons of interesting conversations with a bunch of good guys that I had never met before.

I am glad it turned out well.  Otherwise I would have been both tired and cranky!

Below is shot from my perspective on the morning.

Mustang Tear Down

This morning, my buddy's 1967 Mustang had a fully operational, nice interior.

By 4 pm, this is what we had.......

Ripping stuff apart is fun!  :)

Throwback Thursday

Anyone remember my pig tie? I used to wear this when I was 21 and coaching 7 year olds in hockey.... and occasionally to church.  :)

Ba ha ha!!! :)

Some Christmas Highlights

Christmas holidays are almost over, so I thought I would just reflect on what was a nice holiday.  This is not a comprehensive list by any means (just an "off the top of my head" one) so if you got left out - sorry!

1. Of course, holidays are mostly about family and that was the case with us this year.  It was "Muller Christmas" so we had every Muller within a country mile (or two) here with us at the start of the holiday.  We played floor hockey and basketball at a gym and then came back and ate ourselves almost sick (a theme for most of the week).  Joel and I played video games (hockey mostly) and we just hung out.  We missed Josh and Rachael and family, but we did talk to them several times.

We also took a day and went to Moose Jaw to see my family.  Though the trip seemed very fast, just up and back, we laughed a lot and had a good time.  I especially enjoyed everyone getting together at Bonanza and my sister giving Katie's boyfriend a hard time (they had not met before).

The other aspect to this was this was the first Christmas without Sara's Dad.  I thought it was going to be really difficult (and in a way it was) but everyone seemed to honour him in their own way and made it a time to be thankful and remember the good times too.  I was proud of how everyone handled it.

2. Though I virtually did nothing physical in 2015 (any day nice enough to ride my mountain bike was a nice day to ride a motorcycle instead), Christmas was great for getting back to exercising. I went to noon hockey almost every day and I even played some squash (beating Katie's boyfriend... I mention that b/c it is not going to happen much longer.... He is getting better and I am getting older).

3.  We enjoyed giving and receiving a lot of nice presents. Looking at the pile of stuff under the tree reminded me that we are blessed both to have a lot of material things but also to have lots of good friends and relationships.

4.  We got to read!  Most of us read at least one book over the holidays and I tossed in a couple of motorcycle magazines as well.

Mostly it was just fun to have some time off from our regular routines so that we could slow down and be reminded that life is very nice!

Maybe that was the best gift of all.